Refrigerating apparatus



I Oct. 27, 1936.

E. F. scHwELLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1935 25 coldstorage compartment.

f Patented Oct. 27} .1936

PATENT OFFICE nEFmGEaATInG ArraRATUs Edmund F. Schweller, bayton, Ohio,assigno to General Motors Corporation, Dayton; Ohi a corporation of'Delaware Application May 20, 19 5, Serial No. 22,334

' '1 Claims. (01.62-116) p This invention relates to refrigeratingapparatus and particularly to household refrigerator cabinets wherein acooling element or evaporator is mounted in the food storage compartment5 thereof. I I

It has been found that a cooling element or evaporator mountedlnear awall of the metal liner of a. food storage compartment of a refrigeratorcabinet will radiate cold, produced by the i evaporator, upon the foodcompartment metal liner and will cause moisture to condense and ac-,cumulate on the liner. This is particularly true in certain territorieswhere the air is very humid or, in other words, laden with moisture andis ad- 1 mitted to the food storage compartment by opening and closingthe compartment door in the ordinary use of the refrigerator. Theaccumulation of condensed moisture on the metal wall of a foodstoragecompartment and particularly. the

top wall thereof causes\ water'todrip onto the food products or intoreceptacles containing the products and disposed within thefood storagecompartment. The drip water, from such condensation contaminates thefood stored in the My invention is therefore directed to eliminatingsweating, or accumulation of moisture on a wall of the food compartmentof a refrigerator cabinet.

An object of my invention is to obstruct the radiation of cold producedby an evaporator of a refrigerating system mounted adjacent and in closeproximity to a wall of a food storage compartment of arefrigeratorcabinet to prevent condensation of moisture and accumulation .thereof onthe compartment wall adjacent the Y evaporator.

Another object of my invention is to mount an evaporator of arefrigerating system closely adjacent the top wall of a food storagecompartment in order to provide maximum food storage space in thecompartmentand to place a home member between the evaporator and thecompartment wall adjacent the evaporator for the purpose described inthe foregoing object. Further objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following description, reference beg had to the accompanying .drawing, wherein present invention is clearlyshown 50. Inthe drawing:

' Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a refrigeratorcabinet having my invention incorporated therein; and

. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view 4 showing a battlemounted between the evaporapreferred form of thevtor and the wall of afood storage compartment from which evaporator is suspendinglysupported. Referring to the drawing, for the purpose of illustrating theinvention, I have shown in Fig. F 1 thereof a refrigerator cabinet I0 ofthehou'seter l3, for preventing or retarding the now of heat to the foodcompartment walis. The insulating material I 3 is surrounded or coveredby a 15 shell or by metal panels I4 which form the exterior. finishwalls of the cabinet and which support the food compartment liner H andthe insulation. i3. A cooling element or .evaporator l6, preferably ofthe sheet metal variety and 20 adapted to receive a plurality ofreceptacles or 'ice trays I1, is mounted within the food storagecompartment l2 of cabinet io-..- .Evaporator I6 is supported within thecompartment l2 by being suspended from and positioned closely adja- 25cent .the top. wall of the compartment lining member. The evaporator I6is provided with a plurality of closed refrigerant conveying passageswhereinrefrigerant, upon .enteringxthe evaporator, vaporizes inabsorbing heat from the receptacle l1 and food compartment l2. Therefrigerant passages in the evaporator have an, inlet and an outletopening which areconnected by pipes l8 and i9 respectively to arefrigerant liquefying and circulating unit. The refriger- 35 antliquefying and circulating unit includes a v compressor 2! operativelyconnected, through belt and pulley connections 22 and 23, to an electricmotor 24. Operations of motor 24 and consequently compressor 2| arecontrolled by 40 anysuitable or well-known electric snap switch 26.Theswitch 25-is actuated by movement bfa bellows 26 in response tochanges in pressure of a fluid contained "in a thermostat bulb 21 andPipe 28 connected to the bellows 26. Bulb 21 is 5 in thermal'contactwith the evaporator l6 and therefore controls operation of therefrigerant llquefying and ciriculating unit to cause the evaporator toproduce a refrigerating eifectfor cool-' compresses the refrigerant andforces same under 65 food compartment lining member.

pressure, through a pipe 3|, to a condenser 32. The compressedrefrigerant is cooled and liquefied in any suitable. and well-knownmanner in condenser 32 and flows into a reservoir receiver 33 where itis stored prior to being circulated to evaporator l6. An expansion orany other suitable type of valve 34', interposed in the liquid re-.frigerant pipe line l8 and located adjacent evaporator it, may beutilized to control the flow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator.

In an installation of the type-disclosed wherein the evaporator I6 ispositioned closely adjacent the top wall of the food compartment l2 therefrigerating effect produced by the evaporator is ordinarily radiatedupon the surface of the metal liner ll of the food compartment in thevicinity of the eveparator andthis radiation of cold lowers thetemperature of the liner II to a degree-sufficient to cause moisture inthe air within the food compartment to condense on the liner ll. Aspreviously stated this moisture continues to accumulate along the topwall of compartment l2 formed by liner H, in the form of drops of water,and will, after attaining a certain weight, drop onto food products orinto receptacles containing the products storedin the compartment l2.Since my invention is directed to eliminating the dropping of water ontothe food products stored within the cold storage compartment of arefrigerator cabinet I provide a means for obstructing the radiation ofcold to the top wall of food compartment l2 in the vicinity of theevaporator l6 so as to prevent the top wall H from being reduced intemperature below the dewpoint of moisture in the air within compartmentl2. In the present disclosure the evaporator I6 is supported incompartment [2 by being suspended from the top wall of liner I I. Aplurality of bolts or the like members 36 pass through a wall ofevaporator I6 (see Fig. 2) andthrough openings provided-in the top ofthe metal A plurality of collars 31, 38 and 39 surround each 'of thebolts 36 and a nut 4| secures the bolt 36 to the top wall of the foodcompartment. In the present invention I interpose a bafiie member 42between the evaporator l6 and the top wall ll of the food compartment.This bafiie member 42 may be of metallic material and is secured inspaced relation to the evaporator-16 and compartment wall II by thebolts 36 and collars 38 and 39. The bafile member 42 has its edgesturned up as at 43 to form a pan and it will be noted that the bafiie isslightly wider and preferably longer than the cooling element orevaporator 16. A small opening 44 is provided in the pan-shaped bafflemember 42 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. 7

During operation of the apparatus, .to cause evaporator [6 to produce arefrigerating effect, the evaporator radiates the low temperature beingproduced therein to reduce the temperature of air and to create acirculation thereof in the food compartment l2. Baffle 42 obstructsradiation of cold from the evaporator I6 to the metal top wall of thefood compartment l2 and thereby prevents the temperature of thecompartment top wall from being lowered to a degree to causecondensation of moisture thereon. The baflle 42 thus causes the foodcompartment top wall to be maintained substantially within thetemperature range at which the air within the food storage compartmentis maintained. Therefore no condensation of moisture will occur on thetop wall of the'food compartment l2 and dripping of moisture upon foodproducts stored within the food storage compartment will be prevented.Since air within the food compartment I2 is free to flow over theevaporator I6 and around to baflie 42, and since the baflle is in closeproximity to the evaporator and consequently of a lower temperature thanthe top wall of the food compartment moisture may .condense on thebaffle 42. Any moisture accumulating on the top side of baflie 42isprevented from flowing thereover onto food products by the up-turnededge portions 43 on the'baffle and this moisture will therefore bedirected through the opening 44. Moisture flowing through opening 44,provided in baffle 42, falls upon the evaporator l6 and becomes frozenthereto. Any conventional drip pan or other drip water collecting meansmay be positioned beneath the evaporator for catching drip water flowingtherefrom upon defrosting of the evaporator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improvedrefrigerating apparatus and that I have provided means for insuring thestorage of food products in the storage compartment of a refrigeratorcabinet in a cool dry condition over long periods of time. My inventiontherefore eliminates difficulties encountered in the storage of foodproducts in mechanically refrigerated refrigerator cabinets in certainlocalities where the atmosphere is ladened with moisture.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet, meansforming a plurality of walls of a food storage compartment within saidcabinet, a cooling element of a refrigerating system mounted in saidcompartment and disposed in close proximity to a wall thereof, means forcirculating a refrigerating medium through said element to cause theelement to produce a refrigerating effect to thereby create acirculation of air within said food compartment, and means interposedbetween said cooling element and said compartment wall portion adjacentthe element to obstruct radiation of cold from said element to saidcompartment wall portion for preventing condensation of moisture on thefood compartment wall, said last named means being spaced from saidcooling element and from said compartment wall portion to per- 'mit aircirculating within said food storage compartment to flow across bothsides thereof.

'2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a'cabinet, aplurality of insulating walls forming a food storage compartment withinsaid cabinet, a metal liner member for the walls of said foodcompartment, a cooling element of a refrigerating system mounted in saidcompartment and disposed in close proximity to said metal liner, meansfor circulating a refrigerating medium through said element to cause theelement to produce a refrigerating effect to thereby create acirculation of air within said food compartment, and means interposedbetween said cooling element and said liner portion adjacent the elementto obstruct radiation of cold from said element to said liner portionfor preventing condensation of moisture on the metal liner, said lastnamed means being spaced from said coolingelement and from said linerportion adjacent thereto to permit air circulating within said foodstorage compartment to flow across both'sids thereof. v

3.'A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet,meansforming a plurality of walls of a food storage compartment withinsaid cabinet, a cooling element of a re- "frigerating system supportedvin said compartment by being suspended from and disposed in closeproximity to the top wall of said compartment, means for circulating arefrigerating medium through said element to cause the element toproduce a refrigerating eflect to. thereby create a circulation of airwithin said food compartment, and means 'interposed between said elementand the top wall, of said compartment adcombination, a cabinet, aplurality of insulating walls forminga food storage compartment withinsaid cabinet, a metal liner member for the walls of said foodcompartment, a cooling element of a refrigerating system supported insaid compartment by being suspended from and disposed in .closeproximity to the top wall of said liner member, means for circulating a.refrigerating medium through said element to cause the element toproduce a refrigerating effect to thereby create a circulation of airwithin said food. compartment, and means interposed between said.

portion adjacent thenelea element and the liner ment to obstructradiation of cold from said cooling element to the top wall of saidliner member for preventing condensation. of moisture on the metal linermember, said last named, means being spaced fromsaid cooling element andfrom*sai d metal linertop wall of said 'compartme nt to thereby permitair circulating within the food storagecompartment to flow across bothsides thereof.

i combination,- 50

55" 1 of air within said food compartment, means for ing system withinsaid 5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising, in

a cabinet, means forming a plurality of wallsbf a food storagecompartment within said cabinet, a coolirigelemnt ofarefrigeratcirculating a refrigeratingmediumthrough said element to causetheeleme'nt to produce. a refrigerating effect to thereby create acirculation suspendingly supporting said cooling element from and inclose proximity to the top wall of said compartment, and a metal bafliemember interposed between-said element and the top wall of saidcompartment 1 of cold-from the cooling element to the top wall throughof to obstruct radiation of said compartment for preventingcondensasation of moisture on the compartment wall, said baflle memberbeing secured in position by said I cooling element supporting means,and said baffle member being spaced from said cooling element and fromsaid compartment top wall to permit air circulating within the foodstorage compartment to flow across both sides thereof.

'6; A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet, aplurality of insulated walls forming a food storage compartment withinsaid cabinet, a metal liner member for the walls of said foodcompartment, a coolingelement of a refrigerating system within saidcompartment, means for circulating a refrigerating medium through-saidelement to cause the element to produce-a refrigerating effect. tothereby create a circulation of air within said food compartment, means"for suspendingly supporting said cooling element from and in closeproximity to the top wall of said liner member, and a metal'bafilemember interposed between said element and the top wall of said linermember'to obstruct radiation of cold from the cooling elementto themetal liner member for preventing condensation of moisture thereon, said.baflie member being secured in'position by said coolingelementfsupporting means, and said baflle mem her being spaced. fromsaid cooling element and from said metal liner top wall of d compart-'ment to thereby permit air circulating within the food storagecompartment to flow across both sides thereof. i

7. A refrigerating apparatus comprisin g in combination, 'a cabinet, aplurality of insulating walls forming a food storage compartment withinsaid cabinet, a metal liner member for the walls of saidfoodcompartment, a cooling element of a refrigerating system supported insaid, compartment by being-suspended from and disposed in ,closeproximity to the top metal liner wall of said compartment, means forcirculating a refrigerating medium through said element to cause theelement to produce a refrigerating effect to thereby create acirculation of air within said food storage compartment, 'meansinterposed between said element and the top metal liner wall of-saidcompartment adjacent the element to the tonnretal liner wail of the"cor'npartment for having upturned edge portions and being providedwithan openingfor; the passag'e'thereanymoisture condensed on. anddripping from the top metal liner wall of said compartment.

obstruct radiation of cold from said element to y preventingcondensation of moisturepthereon, said compartment, means for- V'EDMUNlD F. eawm.

